Four Georgia CEOs make top pay list
Companies may not be hiring much, but they’re doing well enough to amply reward their CEOs.
Four chief execs of Georgia-based companies were on a top pay list compiled by the New York Times.
The Times, with the help of the Equilar research firm, posted the total compensation for 200 CEOs whose 2010 salaries were released in proxies by April 1. The companies had to have at least $7 billion in annual revenue.
The list was led by Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, who enjoyed total compensation of $84.5 million — up 149 percent from 2009.
There was a time, not too long ago, when there was a lot of talk about reining in executive compensation, especially during the height of the financial crisis. That didn’t happen — and it’s not likely to in the future.
Here are the Georgia names on the list:
– Coke CEO Muhtar Kent — $19.2 million in total compensation — 30 percent increase from 2009.
– Aflac CEO Dan Amos — $15.9 million — 20 percent increase.
– UPS CEO Scott Davis — $9.5 million — 73 percent increase.
– Genuine Parts CEO Thomas Gallagher — $3.9 million — 116 percent increase.
The list did not include Home Depot CEO Frank Blake. He earned about $10.5 million in 2010, up from his 2009 compensation of $9.9 million, according to company filings.
- Henry Unger, The Biz Beat
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63 comments Add your comment
Ghostrider
April 11th, 2011
11:22 am
I bet they don’t live pay check to pay check….
Ghostrider
April 11th, 2011
11:22 am
Or again they could….one never knows
PeteC
April 11th, 2011
11:36 am
Exactly how long do you spend writing these *articles*, Henry? 4-5 minutes?
Forbes Customer
April 11th, 2011
11:37 am
Would it not feel good to live payday to payday in that comfort zone?
wow
April 11th, 2011
11:46 am
Wow, Henry. This most have been exhausting for you. Great job reporting.
Clinton "Skink" Tyree
April 11th, 2011
11:46 am
I’m going to vote for the political party that makes sure these ol’ boys keep making the big bucks and pay as little federal income taxes as possible.
God bless the Republican Party, capitalism and the Southern Baptist Church.
Bill
April 11th, 2011
11:51 am
WOW AFLAC must be great to get paid that much and yet they started panicking after the Sunami that hit Japan because 75% of there customers are there. Lets do the article next year and see where AFLAC stand then. The other’s don’t surprise me.
ATL Guy
April 11th, 2011
11:52 am
Trying to work out what is more Painful – realizing how my compensation compares to a Viacom CEO or how Pointless this Article really is! Come on Unger – give me some Substance!!!
RT
April 11th, 2011
11:53 am
And what % increase did the other employees of these companies get over last year?
middleroftheroad
April 11th, 2011
11:59 am
I’m with RT. Bet the workers, the workers who did empirically measurable work, didn’t get that percentage. And I bet none of these were responsible for creating significant jobs at their companies either! But wait, we’ll get the comments from those bashing us for questioning or criticizing this kind of compensation. How we dare we!
truth
April 11th, 2011
12:00 pm
must be nice spending 5 minutes on an article and getting paid
Kat
April 11th, 2011
12:04 pm
The article may not have taken long to write, but what else is there to say? Here’s how much they get paid; what do YOU think? And, is this even an “article,” or a blog entry?
nativeson71
April 11th, 2011
12:11 pm
4 CEO’s to call to appear on the TV show “Secret Millionarie.”
I better see some SERIOUS check writing…
Most Despised
April 11th, 2011
12:18 pm
AFLAC, no surpirse there. They have access to our paychecks before we do while touting all the tax savings they are providing, yeah right. That’s what happens when politicians and business get together. No better business model than direct siphoning of worker paychecks.
Brad
April 11th, 2011
12:24 pm
These articles are worthless until they start worrying about the escalating salaries of A-list actors and actresses. What do these actors/actresses add to the economy and jobs with their $20 million + salaries compared to these CEO’s that actually produce something that creates jobs?? Stop with the wealth envy crap. It’s tearing apart our country. Thank God someone can still create wealth in this country. Love your line “reigning in executive compensation”. Who reign it in?? The only people that should have the right to do that are the stock holders. If this was printed on paper, this article would on a cardboard roll in my bath room.
clark kent
April 11th, 2011
12:27 pm
Because, you know…CEO’s don’t do anything for companies of that caliber. Right Henry?
Clinton "Skink" Tyree
April 11th, 2011
12:30 pm
That ol’ boy from Viacom what’s making $84.5 million — you take that
$ 84,500,00 and divide it by 365 days in the year and you come up with $231,506.84 per day.
I don’t care what you say, ain’t nobody worth that kind of money. It’s crazy and unconscionable in the height of this Great Recession to make that kind of money.
And, the Board of Directors that authorized that kind of salary increase during these times should be fired by the shareholders.
But, we gotta lower the taxes these folks pay so they’ll have enough to get by on.
Un-freakin’-believeable that workin’ class stiffs fall for this horse hockey.
dood
April 11th, 2011
12:33 pm
How much does the head guy at such an amazing news source as the AJC get paid? Hopefully plenty, the paper is so great, and I REALLY like getting the junk in my driveway from them, too!
The AJC = legal litterbugs.
Brad
April 11th, 2011
12:40 pm
Yeah, this workin’ class stiff falls for this “horse hockey” because I believe in freedom and the free market. If this bothers you so much, vote with your dollars and don’t buy or use these company’s products or services. Do you want someone coming in saying how much you can or can’t make? I sure don’t.
dood
April 11th, 2011
12:40 pm
Please keep The Reach coming! It’s awesome! After it rains and it falls out of the little baggies you wrap it in, it really looks cool. Then, it dries up and blows all over the street, sharing the wonderness that is The Reach!
woodie
April 11th, 2011
12:42 pm
They get raises and I’ve had to take in 3 homeless family members who were layed off by the Great Recession of 2009 because there are NO JOBS that pay a LIVING WAGE. If someone says again that there are jobs for people willing to work, I’m going to send them 3 homeless people to live with them and let them figure this out.
dood
April 11th, 2011
12:45 pm
woodie, tell the homeless people to come to my neighborhood (during the day please) to pick up the trash in my ‘hood. I’m in East Cobb. Although, you can probably keep them busy picking up The Reach in any neighborhood.
If they’re not working, it will give them something to do. Win-win!
Rev. Ike
April 11th, 2011
12:46 pm
Yeah! What Clinton said.
that's goofy
April 11th, 2011
12:49 pm
Clinton “Skink” Tyree (11:46) nice handle. Guess you were aiming for irony since your politics are of course the complete opposite of the character. Unless your comment was intended to be ironic in that case – well played sir.
Les
April 11th, 2011
12:52 pm
I know these CEOs had to lay-off a lot of people to get their pay boosted to that level.
Ghostrider
April 11th, 2011
1:00 pm
How in God’s Name is anyone worth that kind of Money….I don’t get it.
dtboy
April 11th, 2011
1:04 pm
Compared to what athletes and entertainers make for playing kid games and performing make-believe, these posted CEO salaries, whom I’m sure most work 50-60 work weeks, don’t even come close.
Ghostrider
April 11th, 2011
1:05 pm
Oh yeah…since I cant be in the top four CEO, at least I was First here today.
Spread the profits
April 11th, 2011
1:11 pm
Viacom has approximately 38,000 employees. Considering the business they’re in, they likely have a lot of employees making $20,000 a year. If you paid the CEO $10M, you could take the other $74M and give every employee a $2,000 raise (10% for a $20K a year employee). Wouldn’t that be a fairer way to divide company profits? That’s not redistributing wealth; that more fairly distributing profits.
John
April 11th, 2011
1:14 pm
Each and every one of the list should be ashamed of their greed and their willingness to take such income while others are in such difficulties.
Brad
April 11th, 2011
1:18 pm
I doubt these men pocket all the money. They probably have a private jet which provides jobs for a pilot, maintenance crew, laborers. I’m sure they have landscapers, house maintenance people, etc that are well paid. They buy cars (jobs for car makers and employees), etc. Get your head out of your a**. The economy grows from transactions of products and services, not creating jobs out of the air. There has to be a need first. These men are very likely spending this money that IS providing jobs for people. Taking it away because YOU think it is too much will hurt people that depend on these men for jobs. Get off your moral high horse. We live in a free country. Succeeding in free enterprise is not some dirty task that is a sin we must white wash by being philanthropists. What good does it do for these men to hoard that money. It is helping the economy somewhere. Worry about yourself.
DeeDee
April 11th, 2011
1:19 pm
What’s funny is that non-union management UPS employees, were told that their manager’s fought really HARD to get them a 1% pay increase. Now 1% is better than no raise, and having a job is great, but come on …
Casual Observer
April 11th, 2011
1:20 pm
I work for a company whose CEO is one of the 4 listed. I don’t have a problem with his pay. I also don’t have a problem with anyone getting as much $$$ as possible. I believe if most were in their shoes they’d do the same. The thing is that most people (CEO’s included) are worth whatever someone is willing to pay them. Whether that is 20M or 20K. I’m sure that alot of us if we asked our Co-workers are overpaid. Its not up to us to decide what someone else is worth. Its up to us to decide what WE are worth.
Brad
April 11th, 2011
1:22 pm
The comments here show why the current President got elected. There’s no use trying to debate economic ignorance. Go ahead, get government to control what they make. These men will take their talent elsewhere (as well as the money that they WILL make elsewhere) and the taxes that their income pays and then where will your precious jobs and “spreading the wealth” be? You can’t spread $0. You can spread misery. Calling these men GREEDY? Listen to yourselves.
dave
April 11th, 2011
1:40 pm
you look at these paydays and it’s the writer of the article that makes you angry? wow.
bob
April 11th, 2011
1:40 pm
John, if that were the case, Americans making minimum wage should feel guilty, millions in the world make less than our hourly minimum in a week.
DHD
April 11th, 2011
1:49 pm
What was the point of this article?
Ghostrider
April 11th, 2011
1:54 pm
@ DHD
To get people pissed off….only thing I can think of.
MOG
April 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
God have mercy on the greedy, heartless, capitalist.
……like a camel through the eye of a needle!!
wawel78
April 11th, 2011
2:16 pm
MOG – how do you know their heartless or greedy?
I’m always amazed at how eager people are to feel they should be the ones to say someone makes too much money. To add to another commenter, it’s really about perspective. America’s poverty level is higher than the median income in Europe. I’ve never bothered looking at poorer continents but obviously it would be much worse in Africa. Having said that, maybe all of you here on this blog make too much money. Also, your companies are probably proud that you’re adding value to your job by posting on a newspaper website.
It’s all about perspective.
Blind Sheep
April 11th, 2011
2:24 pm
@Brad, I feel sorry for you as you are fighting a losing battle with most of these bloggers – they all seem to want to be part of a socialistic, entitlement society which is why they voted for Oblunder. God help us if we end up where they think they want to go . . .
MOG
April 11th, 2011
2:27 pm
Prov 22:8 and 16.
MOG
April 11th, 2011
2:28 pm
These are the times that will lead to the end of days…..
Daniel 9
Bryan
April 11th, 2011
2:31 pm
I love a good socialist article from a source that is in financial decay.
wawel78
April 11th, 2011
2:37 pm
Prov 22:8 – He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity. Prov 22:16 – He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain.
So these CEO’s are sowing iniquity because they are well compensated? Where do you draw the line in the sand on this one? I’m sure someone extremely poor might consider 50k an excessive amount.
The fact is you have no idea what these guys do with their money once they have it. I know people who give crazy sums (IMO) to charities and non-profits. They use the $$ they make to help those less fortunate.
If you are a believer in the bible, that’s great but you might also want to review the parts that speak on judging others. It’s certainly not your place to decide if these guys are “sowing iniquities” or oppressing the poor.
Blind Sheep
April 11th, 2011
2:46 pm
@wawel78 – It is impossible to have a gunfight if your opponent has few or no bullets, I would use the same analogy with respect to debating or arguing with a few of the bloggers here!
Well, I have to go back to work after a well needed break so I can continue to help support some of the capitalist hating entitlement socialists that are on this blog . . .
Kim Dills
April 11th, 2011
2:54 pm
Funny how the CEO for Genuine Parts made the list….Hmmm Mr. Gallagher, I guess your family didn’t have to worry about paying your monthly bills last year, or taking care of a diabetic child, while you were worried about lack of insurance, or the possibility of losing your home…But guess what? Those dedicated, over the road NAPA drivers that were “let go”, “laid off”, “given the opportunity to move”….all in the name of saving money….they sure had to worry about it. Odd how, when the “higher ups” realize, that the ones that MAKE the company run, make decent money…it’s time for them to go. I hope that your millions help you to sleep at night…
Nirwen
April 11th, 2011
2:54 pm
Remember folks – this is total compensation (health insurance, stocks, salary, etc), not just money in the bank. These people don’t see that money in a weekly/monthly paycheck. I would be interested to see the salary compensation for these CEOs. I’m sure it’s high, but certainly not as high as reported.
Mike
April 11th, 2011
3:40 pm
I bet they are all Republicans.
EDD
April 11th, 2011
3:40 pm
Now I know why Viacom is laying off so many people as of lately.